Luke is the public’s winner in cycleways logo competition

Talented art student Luke Nash will see his work used across the county after winning a competition to design a logo for the £10 million Greenways cycle project.

Luke, 18, who is studying visual communication at Cambridge Regional College, was a clear winner after the public voted for his green leaf design to feature on cycleway signs throughout the network – one of the most ambitious cycling initiatives in Cambridgeshire.

Luke, who received 675 of just over 1,500 votes cast by the public, said he was delighted by the win.

“Winning the competition is amazing. It’s been a great journey and it’s fulfilling to know my work was the one that was picked. My plan for the future is to be a graphic designer so this is great for me, for my CV and to apply for jobs. It’s great to know this is just the start of my career,” he said.

More than 50 Cambridge Regional College students took part in the logo competition after being offered the opportunity by the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

CRC lecturer Abner Fraser said: “The process has been very exciting and tough for the students because they have had to deal with a lot of variants within the design. The standard of the competition was fantastic – about 150 logos were entered and they were all of a very high standard.”

Luke’s logo will be displayed on all Cambridge Greenways branding and signs across the Greater Cambridge area as a way-finding tool for cyclists, walkers and horse-riders using the network. Luke won a fitness tracker courtesy of competition sponsors Travel4Cambridgeshire, with five runners-up winning vouchers.

Judges made up of Councillors, project managers and journalists whittled all the ideas down to just six that were put to the public vote. Luke’s logo, which links the themes of nature and travel, ties perfectly into the themes of the Cambridge Greenways – designed to be attractive walking, cycling and equestrian routes segregated from traffic connecting the surrounding villages to Cambridge.

The Greenways aim to increase levels of cycling and walking, reduce congestion and help to improve the health of the Greater Cambridge population. The first 12 routes are currently being worked on, with potentially more to come in the second phase.

Cllr Francis Burkitt, Chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership and one of the judges, said: “I congratulate Luke on being picked as the winner in the resident poll. I enjoyed seeing the great work that was undertaken by all the students, and I’m really pleased that so many votes have been cast, crowning a worthy winning design. The Greenways brand name is already strong, and it’s important to enhance this with a popular logo, to help spread awareness and hence usage.

“It’s been really valuable allowing young people to influence the future of the Greenways. Sustainable travel is a great way for young people to gain independence and many students will be using these routes to access education and visit friends. It’s therefore a great thing to involve them at this key stage.”